Junction-box.



No. 697,052 Patented Apr. 8, I902.

M. F. WHITON.

JUNCTION BOX. (Application filed Aug. 31, 1901. (No Bodel.)

\\\\\\\lm mun UNrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS F. XVIIITON, OF I-IINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

JUNCTION-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 697,052, dated April 8, 1902. Application filed August 31, 1901. $crial No. 73,926. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORRIS F. WHrroN, of Hingham,in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in J unction-Boxes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to junction-boxes of that type commonly known as knock-out boxes, and has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of the same to the end that the pieces to be knocked out to open 'the holes for the pipes may be easily knocked out without danger of breaking the box, yet at the same time said pieces are very securely retained in position in the holes.

The invention consists, essentially, in constructing the box proper of any desired size and shape and with any desired number of holes for the pipes and introducing into said holes removable or puncturable pieces or plugs of metal-as, for instance, thin sheetbrass-made of suitable shape and size to substantially fit said holes and having flanges by means of which said pieces are retained in position.

Figure 1 shows in plan view a junction-box embodying this invention, one of the removable or puncturable pieces being broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the junction-box shown in Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a modification to be referred to. Figs. 4 and 5 are details to be referred to.

The box a, made, preferably, as a casting of iron, will be of any suitable size and shape and will have as many holes for the pipes as desired, the box herein shown for the sake of illustrating this invention having four holes in the end wall and one hole in each side wall. These holes will be made circular and of suitable size to receive the pipes. The holes will be closed by removable or puncturable pieces or plugs 17. These pieces or plugs are made as caps, formed of soft metal-as thin sheetbrass, for instanceand comprise an end wall and a side wall, and a flange b is formed or provided at the junction of said end wall and side wall, which projects outwardly, so that when the cap is introduced into one of the holes said flange will abut against the wall of the box.

The removable or puncturable caps may be introduced from the inside, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or from the outside, as shown in Fig. 3.

After a cap is introduced the outer edge of its side wall is turned outwardly to form a flange b on the opposite side of the Wall of the box to thereby retain the cap securely in place.

In practice if the caps are introduced from the inside they can be more easily driven in or knocked out than it introduced from the outside, yet so far as my invention is concerned it is immaterial, as the operation in either instance is an easy one as compared with breaking out an integral portion of the wall of the box, which is at the present time the common practice.

The side wall or a portion of it may be cut away at intervals, if desired, leaving prongs, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and the flange b may be formed on the extremities of said prongs, which will serve as an equivalent for the continuous flange shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

J unction-boxes having removable or puncturable pieces of this description filling the holes may be made very thin, much thinner than the ordinary box, and yet will not be broken as the pieces are driven in or knocked out.

I claim- A junction-box having holes for the pipes and removable or puncturable pieces contained in said holes formed as caps having end walls and side walls and having flanges engaging the wall of the box by whichthey are retained in place, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MORRIS F. WHITON.

Witnesses:

B. J. NoYns, JOHN W. DEoRow. 

